A decade in beauty: 5 beauty trends of 2005 that thankfully died

Ah, 2005. We remember it well. Rihanna released her first album, Chihuahuas were Hollywood’s hottest accessory, and we rocked chunky highlights and wire chokers.

Those were the days! Things were very different in the beauty world too. Was it better or worse? We’ll let you decide for yourself with a look back on the five beauty trends of 2005.

1. Getting so tangoed you looked like you were slathered in paint

Pale and interesting was not the go-to of 2005, for most girls. Everybody wanted that sun-kissed glow, even if they lived in a country where it rained more often than not. And the idea seemed great - in theory. It wasn’t the need for tan that was a problem, it was how girls were going about it.

Shop-bought shimmering instant tans were all the rage, but tanning mitts were not. Instead, everybody tried their hand, literally. The “best” way to cover up the streaky bits was to slather on more tan. Let’s just say the results were less than perfect.

Thankfully as time has gone on, most people have realised that tan is best left to the professionals with a spray booth and a firm understanding of when it’s time to say ‘no’ to more tan. No, that shade of orange won’t look good on you!

2. The no-eyebrow eyebrows

We were all guilty of it. Before we agreed that bigger is beautiful, over-plucking our eyebrows was something that everybody did ten years ago and many of us still regret it to this day. For some reason, brows no more than four hairs thick were something that every girl aspired to. And for some unlucky girls with poor-growing hair, that’s all they’re left with.

Thankfully for them, brow gels, pencils and powder kits are widely available (though you have to be careful not to end up looking like Hannah from ‘Girls’ after she agreed to let her new colleagues give her a makeover). Full, Cara-esque brows are achieved through regular threading sessions. At-home plucking is just too risky if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Step away from the tweezers. It's for your own good!

3. Poker-straight locks

Texture be damned! 2005 and the few years leading up to it were all about super sleek straightened locks. GHDs were our BFFs. Rain and humidity were the devil’s work. All we wanted was to look like Lauren Conrad. Was that too much to ask?! There's absolutely nothing wrong with straight hair, but all that heat led to some seriously fizzled, flat mops.

By the following year we had all given up and accepted that re-straightening our hair every time it got rained on was too much hassle. Beachy waves like Adele’s latest do are, thankfully, the way forward.

4. Nude lips

They say you should only focus on one feature at a time with make-up: eyes or lips. Never both. Well at least now we can choose to go either way. In 2005 the very idea of jazzing up your lip colour was terrifying.

Because nothing says kissable quite like chalky foundation lips!

Bad idea or not, nude, matte lips were the go-to. Many girls even went as far as to lightly paint their lips with foundation, so that they would almost blend into the rest of the face. The revival of the classic vintage look, championed by the likes of Taylor Swift and the appropriately-named Scarlett Johansson now have us reaching for bright berry tones. Mac’s “Ruby Woo”? Don’t mind if I do.

5. Square French manicures

Nail art was always meant to be a fun and transient way of changing up your look. You can go as whacky as you like without any major regret. Nowadays neon and metallic shellac nails are everyone’s favourite way of adding some quirkiness to your look without commitment.

But ten years ago, we played it much safer and opted for a more natural look. Well, fake natural at least. Long, squared-off nails painted with white polish on the tips and a nude polish on the main body were hugely popular.

The only problem was that the “natural look” didn’t really come natural to us and most ladies ended up entrusting the job to a nail technician. Somewhere along the way, we seemed to have said to ourselves “Hey, when you’re out you’re out”. Hence the turquoise Aztec-printed look we’re all so very fond of in 2015.

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